The Pinedale Emergency Medical Services Council (Pinedale EMS) recently received a $10,000 donation from EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. to improve and advance classroom media resources for its new ambulance facility.

Construction of the new Pinedale ambulance facility broke ground late last month, being built just to the east of the existing Pinedale Medical Clinic. It will house ambulances, training facilities and living and sleeping quarters for males and females. The current facility provides accommodations for male medics, while female medics stay in an offsite apartment.

The Sublette County Rural Health Care District, in conjunction with the Sublette County Commissioners, furnished the capital to build the structure. A new classroom has been designed, but media resources were not included.

EnCana’s donation will be used to purchase two PowerPoint projectors, two laptops, two SmartBoards and two erasable boards, and will help pay for additional expenses including software, hardware and electrical support.

"Innovative media resources in our new facility will increase our learning opportunities and provide a more appropriate environment to promote learning," said Kris Bacheller, Pinedale EMS CME director. "With increased demands on our current resources and the new environments we are called to respond in, our learning is continual."

The classroom will accommodate more students, and a dividing fireproof curtain will allow for two smaller classrooms to be created from the one large room. The projectors and SmartBoards will adequately provide teaching tools for two classes simultaneously.

"This will expedite training in the numerous topics required to maintain our certification levels and help us introduce new material from all areas of emergency health management more quickly," said Bacheller.

"EnCana appreciates the partnership, professionalism and quick response of the important services the Pinedale EMS provides to our families and communities in Sublette County," said John Richter, EnCana environmental, health and safety field coordinator. "We hope these new resources will not only train and strengthen current emergency medics, but future medics as well."

The Pinedale EMS medics provide emergency medical services to a large response area in northern Sublette County, including much of the oil and gas fields. In addition to providing emergency medical services, the Pinedale EMS also teaches CPR and First Aid and sponsors prevention and wellness programs to help improve general good health of community members.

The new facility is expected to be completed later this year, with medics moved in and training classes up and running by spring 2007. Once completed, the Pinedale EMS plans to host an open house and invite the community to tour the building.

"We are grateful for EnCana’s contribution to develop our resources," said Bacheller. "When the EMTs and First Responders are better trained, the entire community benefits."